Metal-aligning device



Dec. 17 1929, c, SCHUMACHER 1,739,738

METAL ALIGNING DEVICE Filed July 16, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Dec. 17, 1929. c, sc u cHE 1,739,738

METAL ALIGNING DEVICE Filed "Jul 16, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BY ATTORNEY Dec. 17, 1929. c sc u c 1,739,738

METAL ALIGNING DEVICE Filed July 16, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 16 .ii 47 46 2,9 28a mf 2. /,x 1 I 1/ y INVENTOR ATTORNEY I tween which the strip A Patented Dec. 17, 1929 CONRAD SCHUMAOHER, OF LYNNBROOK,

NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AUTO STROP SAFETY RAZOR CO. INC., NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK METAL-ALIGNING DEVICE Application filed July 16,

of metal while traveling lengthwise to maintain their edges in proper position or alignment for grinding .or honing the edges, or both, .and for keeping such edges from contact with undesired objects or parts of the machine that would injure the sharpened edges.

The invention comprises novel details of improvement that will be more fully herein after set forth and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein Fig. 1 is a plan View of a grinding or honing machine embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal'section of the machine;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail plan view, partly in section, illustrating devices for maintaining the strip in alignment for grinding and/or honing its edges; r

Fig. 4 is a section on line 1, 4c, in Fig. 8;

Fig. 5 is a detail end view, partly broken awayf'looking from theright hand side of Fig. 3; and

Figs. 6 to are detail views illustrating different positions of the supporting or aligning devices for the strip, illustrating a cycle of operations of such devices.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.-

The numeral 1 indicates may be of any suitable construction. At A is indicated a strip of metal, such as relatively thin steel, one.or both of the edges of which strip are to be ground or honed, or both. Such strip is shown provided with spaced holes a. The strip A is adapted to be severed crosswise between certain 'of the holes a to produce safety razor blades after grlnding or honing the strip, although the strip may be used for other purposes. The strip A may be supplied in the form of a coil on a reel in well known way. At 2 are spaced guiding rolls at the receiving end of the machine, betravels in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. Said rolls are shown supported in a position with their 4 in the main frame, the

a frame which 1926. Serial No. 122,779.

axes at an angle to the plane of the strip which travels, as illustrated, on edge, so that the operating surfaces of said rolls lie at an angle to the plane of the strip. As the strip is propelled between said rolls the latter, by contact with the strip, the strip from rising and serve to force the strip downwardly against a fiat guide 3 supported by the main frame, so that the lower edge of the strip will slide along said guide with relation to grinding or honing rolls 4 located above the strip-to grind or hone its upper edge, (Figs. 1 and 2). Pivots 5 for the rolls 2 extend at an angle to the plane of the strip and are carried by slidable blocks 6 which are shown forked to receive said rolls, which blocks are guided in ways 7 on support 8 on the main frame, (Fig.2) springs at 9 between said support and the blocks 6 serving normally to press the rolls 2 against the strip A, (Fig.1). Any suitable means may be provided for propelling the strip A through the machine. In the example illustrated a pair of feed rolls 10 are journaled upon shafts 11', 11* livery end of the machine. shown provided with with a pinion 13 on shaft 11, and shaft 11 is shown provided with a worm wheel 14 in mesh with a worm 15 journaled in bearings worm being shown provided with a sprocket wheel 15 receiving chain 16 from drive sprocket 17 on drive at the strip de- The shaft 11 is shaft 18 journaled on the frame 1.. Driveshaft'18 may be driven in any desired way. Duringrotation of said shaft the strip A will be propelled at a desired speed through the 'machine in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2. During such propulsion of strip A the rolls 2 guide the strip and keep said strip with a downward tendency, as before stated. The rolls tare shown carriedby shafts 19 journaled in-supports 20 on opposite sides of the strip, which supports are suitably carried by frame 1. The shafts 19 are shown provided with pulleys may be driven in any suitable way for rotating the rolls 4, such as by means of belt 22 operated by drive pulley 23 on the main shaft, (Figs. 1 and 2). Where the strip is tend to keep a pinion 12 in mesh 21 which to be ground or honed on opposite edges a second pair of rolls 4 are provided in spaced relatlon to the rolls 4 and carried by corresponding shafts 19 shown supported and operated in manner described with respect to rolls 4, as by means of pulleys 21 belt 22 and drive pulley 23*, (Figs. 1 and 2). The means above described are illustrative of a construction whereby the strip A may be propelled continuously and its edge or edges ground or honed, but it will be understood that the same are illustrative merely of a means for the purpose stated,.since the improvements herein described may be used in conjunction with any suitable grinding or honing means for a strip that is propelled during grinding or honing, or "both. )Vhile therolls 4 and 4* have been referred to as grinding rolls it will be understood that they may be of the variety known as honing rolls,-

or the machine may be equipped with the grinding rolls referred to and also with honmg rolls disposed along the strip beyond the grinding rolls, in "the direction of travel of the strip, for honing its edge or edges after grinding the same.

In order to maintain the edge or edges of the strip A in proper position for operation thereon of the grinding or honing rolls during travel of the strip, means are provided for supporting the strip with its sharpened edges out of contact with the machine. The means illustrated for. such purpose are arranged as. follows :A guide 24 is supported upon frame 1, as by uprights 25, and extends lengthwise of the machine, being shown provided with a guideway 24* in which a slidable reciprocable member 26 is operative. The strip A passes through the guideway and travels through a guiding slot 27 therein that has enlargements 27 at its ends through which the sharpened edge or edges of the strip pass so as not to contact with the metal of the guide, (Fig. 5). The slide 26 at one side of the strip A is shown provided with a dog 28 pivotally supported upon the slide at 29. The dog is provided with a nose or projection 28 that is adapted to pass through a hole a in strip A. The nose or projection 28 is preferably tapered toward its extreme end for ready entrance into any hole a of the strip as the latter travels through the machine. The dog 28 is shown provided with an extending arm 28' having a lateral projection 30 that extends intoa guiding groove 31 in the extension or plate 29 of guide 24. (Figs. 3 and 5.) The groove 31 may be milled in the metal of the plate 24 and has a contour such as to cause rocking of dog 28, as slide 26 travels, in proper timing .to engage and release the strip A. I The groove 31 has an inner edge 31*, shown extending at an acute angle with respect to the plane of guideway 2?, adapted to cooperate with the projection 30 for operation or tilting. of dog 28 to cause its nose 28 to enter a hole in strip A during travel of said strip in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 6, the groove 31 beingrelatively wide at 31 adjacent to the edge 31 for free play of projection 30 therein, (Figs. 3 and 6). From the inner termination of edge 31 the edge 31 of groove 31 extends substantially parallel with guideway 24 in such a manner that the projection 30 will travel in said groove along the edge 31 :while the nose 28 is in a hole in strip A, whereby the dog 28, and thereby the slide 26, will be propelled by and with said strip, (Fig. 7). The edge portion 31 of groove 31 extends-from edge 31 at an angle in the direction away from guideway 24, so that when projection 30 passes from the adjacent end of edge 31 it will travel away from guideway 24* through the groove along edge 31 whereby the dog 28 may tilt to withdraw the nose 28 from the hole in strip A, (Fig. 8). The lower portion of the groove 31, and particularly its edge 31 inclines in a direction away from the plane of guideway 2t from the edge 31 so that when the projection 30 travels through the groove 31 along the edge 31 the nose 28 will be entirely withdrawn from the" hole in strip A to release the dog from said strip, (Figs. 9 and 10). The lower portion of groove 31 is in communication with the widened portion 31 so that the projection 30 will be free at the angle where the edges 31 and 31 meet, so that the dog may rise from the lower portion 31 of the groove, (Fig. 10), p

Adjacent to the edge 31 is a finger 32, shown pivotally supported upon plate 24" at 33 and normally drawn by a spring34 against a stop 35 on said plate, (Fig. .6). The spring 34 is shown attached to the free end of finger 32 and to a stud or the like 36 on plate 24. The operative edge 32 of finger 32 is inclined, substantially in the direction of the edge 31 of groove 31, and normally lies in position to be encountered by the projection 30 when the do 28 and the slide 26 are drawn by the strip (Fig. 3). 32 in engagement with projection 30 1s to assist the latter in traveling down the groove 31 along its edge 31 to enter the lower part The action of finger 31 of said groove, and the edge portion 32 shaped outer edge 37 adapted to cooperate 31 at the point 31*, (Fig. 9), the projection- 30 will be in a position to be pushed upwardly with projection of dog 28, (Figs. 3 and 10). A spring 42 is shown connected with or coiled around a stud 43 on plate '24", the short arm of said spring being attached to said plate by a stud 44. The long arm 42 of spring 42 operates against slide 26, normally tending to push said slide in the direction opposite to the travel of strip A, with the projection v 30 sliding through the portion 31*of groove 31, (Fig. 9). The engagement of the proj ection 30 of dog 28 with the metal of the edge 31 of groove 31 limits the movement of slide 26 by the spring 42 to the left in Fig. 10. Said projection will encounter the finger 37 and move the same laterally against the 'tension of its spring 40, so that when projection 30 enters the lower angle at the juncture of the part 31 of groove 31 with the edge portion by the spring action of finger 37 into the upper widened portion 31 ofthe groove 31, as illustrated at the left in Fig. 3. Inrsuch position of the parts the nose 28 will encounter the strip A in case no hole in the strip opposes the nose, the dog 28 being then retained in a free position by the finger 37. lVhen a hole in strip A registers with nose 28 due to the travel of the strip, said nose will enter said hole and the travel of the strip will cause the dog 28 with the slide 26 to advance, whereupon the projection 30' will engage the edge 31 of groove 31 to force the nose28 farther into the hole in the strip, as before stated, (Fig. 7) I In order to assist the release of the nose 28* from a hole in the strip A, after the projection .30 has reached the junction point be tween the edges 31 and 31, (Fig. 3), an inclined or cam-like surface is encountered by the nose. Since said surface is on the'side of the strip A opposite the dog and inclines toward the strip A the nose 28 will'be forced along the hole in the strip toward the termination of the travel of the dog' with the strip, (Fig. 8), and said projection 30 will be operated by the finger 32, since when projection 30, (being propelled by strip A), encounters edge 31 of groove 31 said projection will push back the finger 32, (Fig. 3). During further progress of the strip the projection will pass along 31 of the groove and the in-- clined edge 32 of finger 32 will operate upon D way that when the pro ection 30 reaches the projection 30 to force it. along the groove, (Fig. 8) to cause full withdrawal of the nose 28 from the hole in the strip, (Fig. 9). The projection 30 next entering the. portion 31 of groove 31 will provide freedom to the slide.- 28 to be pushed along guideway 2 4 by spring 42v to the position shown'in Fig. 10, whereupon finger 37 will be engaged by the projection 30, with the nose 28 entirely released from strip A for a succeeding operation, and

7 so on as the strip travels along. The surface 45 is shown provided on a block 46 secured to the guide 24 by screw 47.

When the nose 28 is in a hole in strip A said nose will serve to retain the strip in a definite plane so thatthe edges ofithe strip will not engage any material of the guides and will be retainedlin proper position for grinding or honing. In order that the strip may be maintained in the desiredpbsition when a nose 28 is released from the strip at least two of the slides 26 with dogs 28 having noses 28 and corresponding fingers 32, 37 and other associate parts are provided, (Figs.

- 1 and 3), which are so spaced as to operate alternately with respect to the holes in strip A. l/Vhen one nose-28 is in a hole of strip A the nose 28 of the adjacent dog 28 will'be free from the strip ready to engage the same when a hole aregisters with such nose, whereby the noses 28 will operate alternately in holes in the strip, so that at least one of such noses always will be in engagement with the stripto retain and guide the same as it travels through the machine. Such construction is illustrated in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 1 a pair of the dogs 28 and associate parts are illustrated at the left of rolls 4; another pair of such dogs are locatedat the left of rolls 4". and a further pair of such dogs are shown located at the right of the feed rolls 10, whereby the sharpened edges of the strip are maintained free from obstructions during travel of the strip along the machine. Any desired number of the dogs" 28 and associate parts may be provided in the machine.

The strip is propelled continuously and the nose 28 of dog 28 will normally bear against the surface of the strip when the dog is in the retracted position, such as at the left hand side of Fig. 3. When a hole a in the strip opposes said nose 28 the nose will enter the hole and initially engage an edge of said hole, and the 'dog with its slide Willbe moved along by the strip, whereupon the projection 30 will engage the edge 31 to cause the nose to gradually advance into said hole from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 7. When the nose 28 engages the cam-like surface 45 the continued travel of the dog with the strip will cause the nose to be pushed outwardly through hole and the projection 30 will engage the spring-acting finger 32 in such a edge 31 said finger will operate upon said projection to push the latter along said edge from the position shown-in Fig. 8 to the position shown in Fig. 9. The nose 28 will be entirely withdrawn from the hole in the strip fore described. With two slides 26 and corresponding dogs 28 and parts co-operating with the latter set in suitable spaced relation, one of such dogs will be in cooperation with the strip while the other dog is out of cooperation therewith,-and so on alternately as the strip travels. During travel of the strip one or the other of the dogs 28 will engage the strip to support and align it in proper position respecting the sharpening devices so that the sharpened edges of the strip are maintained out'of contact with any object that would tend to dull the sharpened edges.

The improvements described will serve to retain and align the edge of the strip A in properposition relatively to the adjacent or associate edge sharpening means, such as the rolls 4 or 45, so that they will operate upon the strip edge to grind or honethe same, or both, in an accurate way: A further advantage is that, since longthin strips of steel, such as adapted for the production of safety razor blades, are liable to be more or less nonstraight, or what may be called wavy, the dogs 28, when their noses or projections 28 are in the holes a of the strip, will serve to align the strip and cause its edge to be propelled in asubstantially straight line respecting the sharpening rolls for desired operation of the latter upon the strip edge.

The strip aligning devices set forth are an improvement in the aligning devices disclosed in the application of H. J. Gaisman and C. Schumacher, filed May 1, 1924, Serial No. 710,270.

Having now described my invention what 1 claim is 1. Means for'aligning a perforated strip of metal while traveling comprising means to propel the strip, a slide member, guiding means therefor, a dog movably carried by said member and provided with a nose to enter holes in said strip while it is traveling to supportkand align the latter, a plate having edges to cooperate with said dog to permit its nose to enter and recede from said holes, the strip and nose causing the dog and slide member=to travel with the strip in one direction, and means to operate the slide and dog in another direction.

2. Means for aligning a perforated strip of metal as set forth in claim 1, in which one 'of the edges inclines toward the strip to cause the dog to advance its nose into holes in the strip, and another of said edges causes thev dog to retain its nose in the said holes during travel of the strip and to release the dog.

3. Means for aligning a perforated strip of metal as set forth in claim 1, in which one of the edges inclines toward the strip to cause the dog to advance its nose into holes in the strip, another of said edges causes the dog to retain its nose in the said holes during travel of the strip and to release the dog, and other of said edges permit complete withdrawal of said nose from holes in the strip and guide the dog to the first named inclined the dog and slide member to travel with it in one direction, means to operate the slide and dog in another direction, one of the edges inclining toward the stripto cause the dog to advance its nose into holes in the strip, another ofsaid edges causing the dog to retain its nose in said holes during travel of the strip and to release the dog, and another of said edges permitting complete withdrawal of said nose from holes in the strip and guide the dog to the first named inclined edge, and a finger to cooperate with the dog to cause it to travel along the last named-edge.

5. Meansfor aligning a perforated metal strip set forth in claim 4, provided with another finger cooperative with the dog to return it intooperative relation to the said inclined edge.

6. Means for aligning a perforated strip of metal while traveling comprising a slide member, guiding means therefor, a dog movably carried by said member and provided with a nose to enter holes in said strip to align the latter, a plate having edges to cooperate with said, dog to permit its nose to enter and recede from said holes,the strip and nose causing the dog .and slide member to travel with it in one direction, means to opcrate the slide and dog in another direction,

and a surface to operate the dog to force its nose out through the holes in the strip toward the termination of the travel of the dog with the strip.

7. Meansfor aligning a perforated strip of metal as set forth in claim 6, said surface being on the side of the strip opposite the dog in position to be encountered by its nose to force it along the holes in the strip.

8. Means for aligning a perforated strip of metal while traveling comprising means an adjacent edge being substantially parallel with the strip to cause retention of the nose in the holes of the strip, another edge being inclined away from the strip to cause complete withdrawal of the nose from the strip,

'- and another edge in'cooperation with said dog retaining the dog withdrawn from the last edge coinciding with the first named edge to permit the projection to return thereto, and means to operate the slide and dog in a direction opposite to their travel with the stri 9. Means of metal while traveling comprising a slide member, a guiding means therefor, a dog projection the strip,

movably carried by said member and provided with a nose to enter holes in said strip to align the latter, the dog having a projection, a plate having arecess provided with edges cooperative with said projection, one of said edges being inclined to cause the nose to enter holes in the strip for travel of the with the strip, an adjacent edge being substantially parallel with the strip to cause retention 0 another edge being inclined away from the strip to'cause complete withdrawal of the nose from the strip, and another edge in 00- operation ,with said projection retaining the the last edge dog withdrawn from the strip, coinciding with the first named edge to permit the projection to return thereto, means to operate the slide and'dog in a directipn opposite to their travel with the strip, and a finger to operate the projection to completely withdraw the nose from the strip.

10. Means for aligning a perforated strip of metal as set forth in claim 9, provided with another finger to be engaged by the projection to cause operation of the dog for entry of its nose in holes in the strip.

CONRAD SCHUMAGHER.

ibr aligning a perforated strip f the nose in the holes of the strip, 

